WASHINGTON — In an innovative move, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is tapping into the gaming community in its quest to recruit the next generation of air-traffic controllers.
On Friday, the Department of Transportation unveiled a video targeting video-game enthusiasts, urging them to consider a career as an air-traffic controller. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the government to bolster its workforce by nearly 9,000 air-traffic controllers by the year 2028.
The video challenges gamers with the question of whether they are ready to take on the role of an air-traffic controller, emphasizing that while gaming skills are valuable, this role is not merely a “game” but a serious “career.”
Highlighting the importance of the position, the video notes, “You’ll keep millions of people safe every day.” It also draws attention to the attractive compensation, with average salaries reaching up to $155,000 by the third year on the job.
This recruitment push follows a tragic incident involving an Air Canada flight that collided with a firetruck on the runway at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, resulting in the deaths of the aircraft’s two pilots.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently examining whether an air-traffic controller’s absence to answer an emergency phone call contributed to the fatal crash and if staffing issues played a role in the disaster.
NTSB probers are trying to determine whether an air-traffic controller stepped away to answer an emergency phone call before the deadly collision and if staffing problems may have contributed to the horror.
Exit interviews with air-traffic controllers who leave the job show gaming is a hobby for many and shares similarities with their work, officials said.
The hiring effort hunting gamers is aimed at “supercharging” recruitment efforts. No college degree is required.
“To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.
“This campaign’s innovative communication style and focus on gaming taps into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller,” he said.
“Thanks to President Trump — we’ve already made incredible progress with the highest controller staffing levels in six years. There’s never been a more exciting time to become a controller and level up into a career with a strong purpose — keeping American families safe.”
Currently, 11,000 ATCs are on the job and another 4,000 trainees are soon following them into service for the FAA.
At least 2,400 were onboarded in the last year — making it the largest class of incoming ATCs to date and a record year for enrollment at the ATC Academy in Oklahoma City.
The FAA is planning to bring on 8,900 new ATCs by the end of fiscal year 2028 — with 2,000 in 2025, and 2,200 in 2026, 2,300 in 2027 and 2,400 in 2028.
Between January 2025 and September 2025, DOT touted hiring 20% more ATCs than over the same period the previous year.
